NEW YORK — Brendan Shanahan is retiring from the NHL after 21 seasons and a likely Hall of Fame career.
The 40-year-old forward announced Tuesday he wouldn’t play again. After going through training camp with the Devils, he and the club mutually parted unexpectedly shortly before opening night of the season.
“While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can’t honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I’d be this fortunate and blessed,” Shanahan said. “I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream.”
Shanahan, who scored 656 career goals, decided to leave the Devils in October one day after he was told there was no spot for him on New Jersey’s top three lines.
Shanahan, who has not played this season, ranks 11th on the league’s career goals list and is the only player with 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes. The eight-time all-star also played for St. Louis, Hartford, Detroit and the Rangers.
Footnotes.
Goalie Jose Theodore has left the Capitals to return to Washington for personal reasons. He’s expected to be away one day.
• The Blue Jackets loaned forward Nikita Filatov to CSKA of the Kontinental Hockey League for the rest of the 2009-10 season. The Associated Press
